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Outside magazine, February 2001

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THE THEORY | THE ROUTINES | THE EQUIPMENT

Field Test	So you've started shopping for a heart-rate monitor and now you're thoroughly confused. Take heart—we've ferreted out a few that will meet your needs, and then some. See our picks below.
HEART MONITOR

GEAR	YOU GET...	YOU'LL LOVE/HATE...	BRAG ABOUT...
1 Sigma Sport PC 3$50; 888-744-6277; www.sigmasport.com	The bare necessities—heart rate, stopwatch, and clock, in a three-button, idiot-proof unit	The PC 3's no-brainer operation/Only three basic functions, which are quickly outgrown by serious athletes	The largest numerical display among this batch of HRMs
2 Physi-Cal Mio $119; 877-566-4636; www.gophysical.com	A transmitter-less HRM that takes readings from your fingertips	Not wearing a constricting chest strap/Trying to take an accurate reading mid-ride or in inclement weather	Its futuristic, self-contained style
3 FreeStyle ECG4 $120; 800-776-6449; www.freestyleusa.com	A sharp-looking, well-appointed HRM that goes from workout to theater in style	Its comfy ergonomic design/The absence of key high-end functions, such as a calculator for average heart rate or percent of MHR	The calorie tracker, which, based on your weight, tallies just what you're burning off
4 Cardiosport Advanced $149; 888-760-3059; www.cardiosport.com	A dependable unit with enough features to make you feel (or at least look) like a pro	That it automatically converts BPMs to a percentage of your max heart rate/Painstakingly programming your target zones to the exact digit	Being savvy enough to buy a watch with sophisticated, but not over-the-top, functions
5 Polar S510 $240; 800-227-1314;www.polarusa.com	A state-of-the-art supercomputer for type-A multisport athletes	The bike attachments that calculate cadence, distance, and speed/Feeling pressured to analyze every minute aspect of your workouts just because now you can	The do-it-yourself VO² max test; your advanced degree in applied mathematics (which you completed to help you operate your HRM)
6 Acumen TZ-Max 100 $299; 800-852-7823; www.acumeninc.com	A fully loaded rig from one of the top names in the business	The raft of functions and the PC-compatible software/The price and the Bible-size manual that reads like a precalculus textbook	Its water resistance (use it while swimming); the "Nite Site," which automatically illuminates display in the dark

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